Virginia Democrats: We Did It!

Democratic Party of Virginia staff members and DPVA vice chairman Frank Leone, second from left, celebrate the completion of the state party's Sign4Nine initiative. Local Democratic committees, volunteers, and many others across Virginia helped collect more than 5,000 signatures.

Click here for more photos!

December 12, 2003

Volume III - Issue 42

On Eavesdropping, Kilgore Offers Anger, Not Answers

Thanks to the courageous reporting by two Virginia newspapers, new facts are emerging about the March 2002 criminal eavesdropping by Republicans that place Attorney General Jerry Kilgore's office at the center of the scandal. George Whitehurst of the Danville Register & Bee, now joined by Bob Gibson of the Charlottesville Daily Progress, in the last week has broken stories that raise still more troubling questions about Kilgore's knowledge of the criminal eavesdropping enterprise and whether members of his staff attended a public relations strategy meeting--at then-House Speaker Vance Wilkins' office, no less--to discuss redistricting that included the eavesdropper, Ed Matricardi--three days after the eavesdropping incidents took place. The inconsistencies brought to light in the new stories are significant because they cast doubt on Kilgore's attempt to portray himself as a hero when he turned over information about the eavesdropping incidents to the Virginia State Police.

Perhaps even more disturbing than the questions themselves is the pattern of Kilgore's shifting response to questions about what he knew and when he knew it. On Tuesday, during the Associated Press's annual Day at the Capitol, Kilgore blew a gasket when Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine asked a series of reasonable questions about Kilgore's early knowledge about the eavesdropping matter. More

Read a detailed transcript of Kilgore's response to Kaine's questions here

On The Governor's Tax Reform Plan, Public Support Grows

As momentum gathers around the Governor's tax reform plan, including new polls that show broad public support for reforms that would help ease the tax burden on 65 percent of Virginians, more bad news for the race-to-the-bottom wing of the Republican Party led by none other than Jim Gilmore.

At last weekend's GOP "advance," the former Republican governor's red-meat tossing exercise-attacking the Governor's plan with a magic marker and disinformation-showed nothing more than how out-of-touch Gilmore continues to be about his own failed policies that led to Virginia's historic $6 billion budget shortfall. Newspapers from Roanoke to Winchester expressed disdain over Gilmore's anti-Warner rhetoric, while one of the legislature's Republican leaders on tax reform distanced himself from the partisan GOP chorus of naysayers. More

The Bush Litmus Test

By Lindsey Reynolds
Executive Director
Democratic Party of Virginia

I'm more scared than ever about George Bush. And let me tell you why. Just a few days ago, I was on the phone with some other political folks across the country planning what Democrats will do to beat Bush next year. I want to tell you how horrified I was listening to some of the stories these folks were telling me about Bush Action Centers-the centerpiece of Bush's grassroots re-election strategy-in their states.

Now, I know when we think about a Bush Action Center, we get shivers up our spine-and we should. But what these folks are doing in these Action Centers will all out scare you.

It seems that volunteers for the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign are loading up folks into cars, driving them to Bush Action Centers and getting on the phones. They are calling folks in and around their communities and asking them questions about their belief system. The caller says she's a concerned citizen in the area and wants to ask you a couple of questions. There are actually four questions:

Do you support President Bush?
Are you pro-life?
Do you support the second amendment and the NRA?
Do you go to church?

We all know the South is different. We have Democrats in Virginia who are pro-life, supportive of the 2nd Amendment and the NRA, and yes, Democrats go to church! To me, this type of politicking is just plain outside the parameters - but we already know that they will stop at nothing to return Bush to the White House. If you answer yes to any of the questions, the caller suggests your ideology falls right in line with the Republican Party - you know, Democrats don't support those things.

This is the worst sort of party conversion. But I'm glad we've found out about it so quickly. What this shows us as Southern Democrats is very clear: We must be vigilant in our efforts to oust Bush and send him and his horse back to Texas. As Democrats, there is no greater fight - no greater banner to wave - no greater rallying cry. GEORGE BUSH MUST BE STOPPED.

So, as Virginia Democrats, today let's make a promise to one another - let's pledge that no matter how tough it gets, no matter how tired we may feel, no matter how hard we have to work - that we will rise to this occasion. I ask that you help me stop this kind of say-anything politicking. I am asking you to back up your support of the eventual nominee with a contribution to the Democratic Party of Virginia today.

Our efforts alone won't stop Bush-but with your help and other citizens who believe that this country and this Commonwealth deserve better, we can mount a challenge. Let us speak with one voice in saying that Virginia Democrats will not be branded-we will not stand idly by and let Republicans run the table: so click here and back your support up with a contribution. Help us send Bush home!

The Demo Memo
is a publication of the Democratic Party of Virginia.
Kerry J. Donley, Chairman
Lindsey Reynolds, Executive Director
Laura Bland, Editor and Director of Communications

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Events

Click here for our interactive calendar of events.

Event: Democratic Party of Virginia's annual Jefferson Jackson Day dinner
Date: February 7, 2004
Location: Greater Richmond Convention Center

Event: Virginia presidential primary
Date: February 10, 2004
Location: Statewide

January 12, 2004, deadline to register to vote in the primary